Animal-cleaning machine.



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` 1 Inventor Wbllwm VVeTzL-nk Patented April 5, '1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ILLIAM WOERTINK, OF ESTELLINE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

ANIMAL-CLEANING MACHINE'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,448, dated April 5, 1904.

Application filed September 16, 1903. Serial No. 173,472. (No inodel.)

T0 LM whom, it mfc/y concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM WOERTINK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Estelline, in the county of Hamlin and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Cleaning Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to cleaning apparatus designed, primarily, for currying or cleaning horses or other animals; and my invention consists of certain novel features of combination and construction of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The prime object of my invention is to provide means for thoroughly removing foreign substances from the skin of horses or other animals at the expense of a minimum amount of labor or exertion on the part of the operator.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparent, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, and in which- Figure 1 shows my invention complete ready for use. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on line m a on a slightlyenlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a iiexible joint employed by me between certain parts of the l shaft.

a portion of the handle whereby the shaft may Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing be lengthened or shortened. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a currycomb adapted to be used in connection with my device, and Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of the brush cleaning comb support removed from the machine proper.

In describing my invention numerals will be employed, the same numeral applying to a similar part throughout the several views.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings,

l indicates my rotary currycomb or brush,

which is secured upon a shaft 2, said shaft being extended entirely through a handle member 3, the extension being indicated by the numeral 4 in Fig. 1. I also provide a connecting member 5, which is tubular in form `may be thus conveniently disposed of.

.bolt 10 at one end and pivotally connected at its other end to the'shaft 7 by means of the rod 11, it being understood that the rods 10 `and 11 are at right angles to each other, thus insuringthat a flexible joint between the members 4 and 5 will be produced.

The tubular member 5 is designed to loosely receive the end of the shaft 12, which latter is provided with the pin 13, the ends of which extend through the slotted opening 6 in the connecting member, thus enabling the length of the shaft to be increased or decreased without in any wise interfering with the rotation thereof.

The rotary brush is actuated by means of suitable power, which is provided through the mediation of certain driving-gears carried by the frame-section 14. Vithin the framesection 14 I locate in proper bearings the master wheel or gear 15, having its shaft 16 extended through the frame, whereby the crank or operating-handle 17 may be attached thereto, the said gear 15 being designed to mesh with the beveled gear 18, also carried by the frame 14. The gear 18 is keyed toy the shaft 19, which latter is connected with the shaft 12 by means of the flexible joint or union 20, corresponding in construction with the joint illus# trated in Fig. 3. The frame-section 14 is pro-` vided with a suitable strap or straps 21,designed to be extended around the shoulders of the operator, whereby the weight of the machine I also provide for the rotary brush or currycomb 1 a cooperating cleansing member consisting of the comb 22, so pivoted to the carrying-standard 23 that it may be raised or lowered, as for the purpose of cleansing the same of any accumulation of hairs, dust, or the like, inasmuch as the teeth of said comb are adapted to cooperate with the teeth of the rotary brush IOO or comb 1, and remove therefrom such accumulations as would otherwise interfere with the effective service thereof.

The comb proper, 22, is attached to the standard 23 by placing the end thereof in the recess 24 in the upper end of said standard, and in order to removably secure the standard in place upon the tapered end of the handle member 3 I provide for the lower end of the standard 23 the semicircular branch or attachment 25,which has pivoted to its lower end the semicircular complementary member 26, adapted to fit around the other side of the member 3.

The semicircular member 26 is provided at its free end with the extension or keeper 27, which is designed to `lie snugly in contact with the lower end of the standard 23 and may-be secured in a locked position around the member 3 by lowering the collar or ring section 28, as will be clearly obvious. It therefore follows that the standard and the comb carried thereby may be very readily removed from its operative position upon the member 3 without taking but a moment of time and without interfering with the use of the rotary brush or comb l.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 and the foregoing description that in view of the provision of the flexible joints or unions 8 and 20 great fieXibility is imparted to the several shafts intermediate the rotary brush l and the driving-gears, and by reason of the construction of the telescoping connecting member 5 I am enabled to increase or shorten the reach of said parts as I may desire, thus enabling the operator to readily reach any part of the animal.

The rotary brush or comb 1 is rendered self-cleaning by reason of the cooperation therewith of the Amember 22, and since the load or weight of the machine is carried by the strap or the equivalent 21 the operation of my currying-machine will be thus rendered very easy.

It will be understood that my machine may be made of any preferred material and any desired size to meet all the requirements of such a machine, while the rotary brush or comb proper, 1, may also be made with metallic teeth, as is now common, or may be formed with bristles or of rubber or the like, as may be found most desirable and productive of the best results.

In lengthening the reach of the several shafts all that is required by the operator is to push forward or outward upon theconnecting member 5, which, however, will in no wise interfere with the free rotation of the shafts connected therewith.

Believing that the construction and manner of using my improved currying-machine have thus been made clearly-apparent, further description is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary currying-machine, the combination with a rotary brush or comb having a suitable driving mechanism, and a handle member carried thereby 'of a cooperating cleaning-comb 22, a supporting-standard 23 therefor, said standard terminating at one end in a semicircular branch 25, a semicircular member 26 hinged thereto and adapted to cooperate therewith to removably clamp said standard to said handle member, and means to lock said branches together, as set forth.

2. rI`he herein-described currying-machine, comprising the combination with a combined rotary brush and cleaning comb therefor,

driving mechanism for'said brush, and ahan-` dle member carried upon a part of said driving mechanism, of a standard 23 having arecess atits upper end and in which said cleaning-comb is pivotally secured, and means at the lower end of said standard to removably secure the same to said handle member, substantially as set forth. f

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

p WILLIAM WOERTINK. Witnesses GEO. C. LoHR, J. W. CALLETT. 

